Letter to Representative Goodlatte Concerning the Commerce Clause

A letter to Congressman Goodlatte, concerning the invasive way the Commerce Clause is invoked to pry into the private lives of Americans.

Congressman Goodlatte, I would like to bring to your attention the cases of Wickard v Filburn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn ) and Gonzales v Raich (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzales_v._Raich), wherein the Supreme Court found "that Congress can regulate purely INTRASTATE activity that is not itself “commercial,” in that it is not produced for sale, if it concludes that failure to regulate that class of activity would undercut the regulation of the interstate market in that commodity" (emphasis mine). Congress has seemingly confused economics with commerce. Setting prices is not Congress' job. Setting quotas, to be met or not exceeded, is not Congress' job. Telling an American what they can and cannot produce, and in what quantities, for personal use, is not the job of Congress! Taking the Filburn case further, one can see it being applied to any number of self-sufficiency initiatives one may follow, like home gardening or personal solar/wind/hydro power. As we can see with HR 875 and S 425, regulating home gardening is already being proposed. I am glad to see that no Republicans are supporting it, but 41 Democrats are (HR 875, that is). As home power generation technology becomes more affordable and effective at displacing power drawn off the grid, how long until power companies join together to have Congress regulate how much energy a person can generate locally? Congressman, this trend worries me as I'm hoping it worries you. We need strongly worded legislation that reigns in Congress' ability to use the Commerce Clause as carte blanche to stick it's nose in the economy. Congress has the power to regulate commerce between the Several States, NOT in the private lives of Americans, no matter how much Congress "thinks" it may affect the national economy. Please respond by letting me know how you are personally going to reign in Congress' power (something any true Republican would actually do, even though it reigns in their own "power"). I would like to work with you on drafting this legislation so that it protects the individual's ability to take care of themselves and their families without Congress influencing those decisions. Sincerely, James Aimonetti